NEW WEEK. Gimme those powerstones. And thanks for the last week. Held top 20 ranking.
---
[5 PM]
The Krypton set stood under the massive studio lights like a living city waiting for execution.
The metallic towers rose toward the open ceiling, which had been removed earlier for safety reasons. The crew needed space for pressure release after the explosion, leaving the structure looking exposed from above. Thick cables hung overhead, and hidden explosives were carefully placed inside the set walls.
Even with all the preparations, the set still had a beautiful appearance. Cold silver surfaces reflected blue Kryptonian light across the floor, while artificial energy pulses flickered softly through the engraved structures. The escape pod sat locked in the center of the platform, ready for the final shot.
Alex was behind the monitor station, resting one elbow on his knee. He monitored multiple camera feeds, knowing that every angle was important. High-speed cameras were safely protected behind reinforced glass walls, while smaller handheld cameras were placed in safe zones to withstand the blast wave.
A lighting technician adjusted one of the final panels.
Alex narrowed his eyes slightly at the monitor. "Panel three is still too bright," he said without looking away from the screen. "Drop it another four percent. I want the fire to dominate after ignition."
"Got it," the technician replied quickly.
Another crew member leaned toward the camera rig near the left side of the platform.
Alex pointed immediately. "Tilt it down slightly. We're losing the lower collapse frame."
The camera operator adjusted the angle carefully.
Alex watched for another second before nodding once. "Perfect. Lock it there."
The atmosphere on the set felt different now. Earlier, everyone was focused on the technical work. Now, there was a quiet sense of anticipation in the air, as if something big and explosive was about to happen.
Nearby, Castle stood beside Martha behind the safety barricade while staring at the set in excitement. His arms were folded tightly, as if he was physically trying to hold himself together.
"I cannot believe he's actually doing this," Castle muttered, eyes wide. "This thing probably costs more than my entire penthouse building."
Martha looked completely entertained as she sipped from a paper coffee cup. "Oh, sweetheart, this set probably cost more than several penthouse buildings."
Castle shook his head slowly while grinning. "And now he's about to blow it up for one scene. I think I'm in love with this level of insanity."
Martha laughed softly beside him. "You're definitely enjoying this a little too much."
"Of course I am," Castle replied instantly. "This is cinema. Expensive, unnecessary, emotionally irresponsible cinema. I wonder if my Nikki Heat series gets a proper response, and if we decide to do a movie later, will he explode a building or a plane?"
Meanwhile...
Alex stood up from the monitor station once the final checks were cleared. The set had gone almost completely quiet now except for the faint hum of studio equipment and the occasional crackle from crew headsets. Everyone had moved to safety, and the last safety confirmation had just come through.
One of the effects supervisors looked toward Alex and gave him a thumbs up. "Charges are armed. We're ready whenever you are."
Alex nodded once, then looked around the set slowly. 'Okay, time to blow it up.'
Then his eyes shifted toward Alexis.
She stood near Carla Gugino and Daniel Craig, still in costume, and watched the set with excitement. She tried hard to contain it. Her attention switched between the big red trigger console and the large structures ready to explode.
Alex smirked faintly before raising his voice enough for everyone nearby to hear. "Alexis."
She looked over immediately. "Yeah?"
He nodded toward the console. A large red button sat under a clear protective cover like something straight out of an action movie.
"You wanna do the honors?"
For a second, Alexis just stared at him like she thought she had heard wrong. "Wait... Me? No, seriously? Can I?" She asked with a smile and a little confused expression because she never thought Alex would let her do it. After all, she was a newbie.
Castle snapped his head toward Alex instantly. "Hold on. You're giving the new girl the explosion button? What about me? Can I do it? She's Supergirl, she can't possibly blow up her own planet."
Alex shoved his hands into his pockets casually and looked toward Castle. "Don't be jealous, Castle. You'll get your chance if your series works out. For now, it's Alexis's first movie and first day on set, and she did really well today," he replied with a small shrug. "Feels right to let her end it with a bang."
Martha laughed warmly beside Castle. "Oh, she's going to remember this for the rest of her life."
Alexis looked between them, then back at Alex again. "You trust me with this?"
Alex's smile widened slightly. "You'd have to try really hard to somehow mess up pressing one button."
Daniel Craig chuckled under his breath while Carla rested a hand lightly against Alexis's shoulder. "Careful," Carla teased softly. "This is how power corrupts people."
Alexis laughed nervously before walking toward the console. The closer she got, the more real it felt. Crew members nearby stepped aside for her with amused smiles while cameras continued recording behind-the-scenes footage.
Castle pulled out his phone almost instantly. "Oh no, I'm documenting this. This is historic."
A few more crew members took out their phones.
Alex walked over to the monitor while saying, "Put your phone down, everyone, unless you want it to be your last day on set." He glanced back. "You too, Castle."
"Oops, sorry," Castle quickly put his phone back in his pocket.
Alex sat into the director's chair, one ankle resting over his knee as he studied the monitor feeds one last time.
"It's time, everyone. Final safety check," Alex called out calmly while adjusting the headset around his neck.
A voice crackled through the speakers almost instantly. "Blast zone clear."
"Camera shields secured."
"Fire suppression standing by."
"Pressure vents open."
Alex nodded once as each confirmation came through. Then he looked toward Alexis.
She stood at the console now with both hands resting near the protective cover, trying very hard to look composed while barely containing the grin threatening to break across her face. Carla stood nearby with folded arms and an amused expression, while Daniel looked like he was enjoying this far more than he intended to admit.
Alex pressed the talk button beside his chair. "Alright, Supergirl. Open the cap."
Alexis took a small breath, then flipped the clear protective cover upward with a loud click. The giant red button underneath almost looked ridiculous compared to the seriousness surrounding it.
Alexis rested her hand above the button, then looked back toward Alex with obvious excitement. "Okay, this is officially the coolest thing that's ever happened to me." Then she gave a side nod. "Other than working in this film with Hollywood legends."
Alex finally leaned forward slightly.
"Everybody ready?" Alex asked.
Several voices answered at once across the set.
"Ready."
"Standing by."
"All cameras rolling."
"Alright, Alexis. On the count of three, press the button," Alex said.
She nodded quickly, her hand hovering over the console while her heart pounded hard enough to make her laugh nervously under her breath.
Everyone put on their headsets.
Alex raised one hand slowly.
"One."
The entire studio seemed to hold its breath.
"Two."
Alexis bit her lip slightly, eyes fixed on the button.
"Three."
She slammed her hand down.
For half a second, nothing happened.
Then...
The first explosion erupted deep inside the central tower with a violent metallic boom that shook the entire stage. Blue light burst outward through the cracks as the structure split apart from within. A shockwave rolled across the set, rattling the reinforced barriers while sparks exploded into the air like violent fireworks.
A second blast ripped through the right side of the city almost instantly. Metallic arches collapsed inward while glowing Kryptonian panels shattered into burning fragments. Fire rolled upward through the structures in massive waves as hidden charges detonated one after another with brutal precision.
The escape pod platform shook violently before part of the surrounding structure collapsed behind it in a storm of sparks and debris.
Alex sat completely still behind the monitors, eyes locked on the camera feeds while the destruction unfolded exactly the way he imagined it.
"Beautiful," he murmured quietly. 'I wish Max were here. She'd have loved it.'
The explosions continued in sequence across the set. Towers folded and cracked apart while entire sections of Krypton disappeared behind walls of fire. Chunks of metallic debris crashed against the ground hard enough to send vibrations through the studio floor beneath everyone's feet.
The high-speed cameras captured every second. Fire twisting through silver structures. Blue alien energy flickering wildly before dying out. Entire platforms collapsing into burning wreckage.
Alexis stood frozen near the console with both hands over her mouth now, staring at the destruction like a little kid watching the world's most expensive fireworks show.
"Oh my God," she whispered. "Oh my God, I destroyed Krypton."
One final explosion detonated near the upper structures. The tallest Kryptonian tower split down the middle before collapsing in slow, violent fashion through the center of the city. Fire consumed the remains while sparks rained through the air like burning stars.
Then silence slowly settled over the stage except for crackling flames and the hiss of emergency suppression systems activating around the debris.
Smoke drifted upward through the open ceiling where Krypton once stood whole only minutes earlier.
Alex finally leaned back in his chair and exhaled slowly while watching the playback monitor.
The destruction looked massive and awesome.
A grin spread across his face before he looked toward the stunned cast and crew.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "That's definitely making the final cut."
...
[After Day: 1. Wrap-up]
The set slowly emptied over the next hour.
Crew members rolled equipment away while sections of the destroyed Krypton set still crackled faintly under the watch of the safety teams. They will be staying late to clean that place up.
Most of the actors had already left after wrapping for the day.
Near the monitor station, Alex was talking with Castle and Martha.
A nearby cleanup worker dragged a smoking section of Kryptonian wall past them, and Castle watched it like someone witnessing a historical artifact being removed from a battlefield.
"That right there," he muttered while pointing at the debris, "is the most expensive emotional damage I've ever seen."
Martha laughed softly and shook her head while Alex smirked faintly beside them.
A few moments later, one of the trailer doors opened.
Alexis stepped out wearing casual clothes now: a dark hoodie and jeans. Her hair hung loose around her shoulders after hours under studio styling. She looked tired, but there was still excitement sitting visibly in her expression like her brain still hadn't fully caught up to what happened today.
She spotted them immediately and walked over.
Castle noticed first and smiled proudly while Martha's expression softened the second she approached.
Alex looked toward her as she stopped near them. "You survived your first day," he said casually. "How does it feel?"
Alexis laughed quietly while stuffing her hands into her hoodie pockets. "It was awesome. A little tiring but awesome. I still can't believe I'm here... It feels like a dream."
Castle pointed at her dramatically. "You destroyed an entire planet on your first day in Hollywood. Most actors spend years building up to that kind of résumé."
Alexis grinned at that, still slightly disbelieving. "Honestly, I still can't believe you trusted me with the button."
Alex shrugged lightly. "You earned it. You worked hard today."
That answer hit her harder than she expected. The excitement in her face softened for a second into something quieter, more genuine.
"Thanks," she said softly. "Seriously."
Alex nodded once before looking toward the stage where cleanup crews continued working through the wreckage. Then he looked back at her. "Well, go home, have dinner, and sleep. I'll see you on set tomorrow."
Alexis let out a small breath and smiled. "Yeah… tomorrow," she repeated like it still felt unreal.
"Good night," Alexis said.
"Good night," Alex replied.
The trio turned around and began to walk toward the exit.
Castle lightly wrapped an arm around Alexis's shoulders as they walked.
Alexis looked back one more time toward what remained of Krypton, a grin slowly spread across her face again.
Her first day was over.
And somehow, she had ended it by blowing up a planet.
...
[That night]
On his way to the penthouse...
Rachel was driving and Alex was sitting in the passenger seat. He got a text from his mother. She asked if they could meet up tomorrow evening. He texted back: 'Yes. I'm wrapping up the shoot by 6. So, we can meet around 8 PM.'
===
Support link: www.patr eon.com/UnknownMaster
[4 advance chs] [All chs available for all tiers]
+ [Reborn in Castle: 26 chs] + [Modern Family: 6 chs]